


Temperance Promises

by dracoqueen22



Series: And Other Virtues [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Campaign 2 (Critical Role), Cuddling & Snuggling, In This House We Have Conversations Says Caduceus, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23675419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracoqueen22/pseuds/dracoqueen22
Summary: Fjord has never ached for privacy quite as much as he does now that he knows he can kiss Caduceus, and Caduceus will welcome it.
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Fjord
Series: And Other Virtues [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704739
Comments: 22
Kudos: 152





	Temperance Promises

Finding privacy becomes something of a challenge. They're a tight-knit group often thrust into very close quarters, and what secrets they have are ones they started with, rather than ones they created along the course of the journey.  
  
Fjord has never ached for privacy quite as much as he does now that he knows he can kiss Caduceus, and Caduceus will welcome it.  
  
He wants to kiss Caduceus all the time. He wants to taste those slow smiles, and nuzzle Caduceus' face, and take his hand and squeeze his fingers, and sleep tucked in Caduceus' arms.  
  
Their relationship isn't exactly a secret. Everyone saw their first kiss, whether they acknowledge it or not. And Fjord can practically see Nott vibrating with the urge to tease him. He doesn't know why she holds back, but he's grateful for it.  
  
This is a fragile, precious thing.  
  
And then Caduceus casts Spirit Guardians or throws some healing at him, and Fjord’s gone, head over heels like it’s the first time Caduceus smiled at him. Fjord flushes all over, heat pooling in his groin, flushing his face. All he wants to do is kiss Caduceus, throw subtlety out the window, maybe even find the nearest bed, or flat surface or...  
  
He really wants to find some privacy.  
  
It's not until they've barely escaped with their lives from Rexxentrum, when they've got the truce on their shoulders, and they've finally rescued Yasha, that they have anything resembling a moment of peace.  
  
A few days to get their heads right, to gather their supplies, to figure out what they’re going to do next. It’s enough time to breathe, to relax, to yes, visit a spa.  
  
And all the while, Fjord wants to get Caduceus alone. Stolen kisses in an alley, taking his fingers and squeezing them under the table, bumping his arm as they walk, it’s not enough. Especially since the rest of the Mighty Nein have decided that they want Caduceus petting time more than usual.  
  
Assholes. Every single one of them.  
  
Fjord's at the end of his rope.  
  
So maybe.  
  
_maybe_  
  
He's a little aggressive when it comes time to divvy up the rooms. Maybe he's a little louder than he needs to be but damn it.  
  
He just wants to kiss his boyfriend in peace. Is that too much to ask?  
  
"We typically share a room, Fjord," Caduceus says with a soft laugh, once they're in the cramped space which barely qualifies as a room. "I don't think anyone planned on changing that."  
  
There's only one bed.  
  
Granted, all of the rooms only have one bed, but Fjord notices it this time. Really notices it. Caduceus usually volunteers to sleep on the floor. He doesn't seem to mind it.  
  
There's only one bed.  
  
It's a small bed. Caduceus' feet would probably hang off the end. They'd be very close.  
  
Fjord's face heats.  
  
There's only one bed, and it's a small bed, and if they shared it, they'd be very close.  
  
"Fjord?"  
  
He shakes himself out of his stupor and drops his bag at the end of the bed. "It's been a long week," Fjord says as he sits down on the bed, which gives a flumph and sinks in the center a little.  
  
They'd roll toward each other. They'd have no choice but to sleep curled in close, sharing breaths and space.  
  
"Yes, it has," Caduceus agrees and sits down beside him, catching his balance with a hand to Fjord's shoulder as the bed tries to swallow him. "Oh. This is interesting."  
  
Fjord grabs his elbow to help steady him. "Every inn's an adventure," he says. "Better than sleeping outside though."  
  
"Mmm. Depends on the outside." Caduceus offers one of those crooked grins which make Fjord's heart flutter. "It'll do. If you'd like to share it."  
  
Fjord is frequently grateful for how blunt Caduceus can be.  
  
The tips of his ears burn hot, and he's half-afraid of what color his face is. "Truth is, what I want to do right now is kiss you," he says.  
  
Caduceus' smile broadens. "Why don't you?"  
  
"Because I might not stop," Fjord admits. He gently squeezes Caduceus' elbow, tempted to reel him in, within reach for a kiss.  
  
"Is that such a bad thing?" Caduceus leans in closer, his eyes at half-mast, and how he can look both innocent and devilish is a mystery.  
  
By Melora.  
  
Fjord swallows, his mouth abruptly dry. "We're supposed to, uh, meet the others for dinner in a bit."  
  
"We've got some time, don't we?" Caduceus' touches the side of his face, and Fjord leans into his palm, his heart thudding in his ears.  
  
"Sure," Fjord says, and he's leaning in now, drawn by the curve of Caduceus' lips.  
  
Caduceus breathes a laugh, a finger tracing Fjord's ear, before he touches the curve of Fjord's jaw, tilting his face up. Fjord's dizzy with anticipation, until their lips touch, briefly at first, and then again, with more pressure. Caduceus' sharp inhale echoes in his ears, and Fjord presses his advantage, parting his lips, deepening the kiss.  
  
It won't be the one. It can't be the one.  
  
It's a long, extended kiss, the touch of Caduceus' tongue to his, coy at first but then gaining confidence. The slide of Caduceus' fingers through his hair, blunt nails gentle on his scalp. Shivers dance over Fjord’s skin, goosebumps in their wake.  
  
Fjord sighs against Caduceus' mouth, cupping Caduceus while careful of his talons, but keeping him close for kiss after kiss after kiss. Making up for every missed opportunity, every time he caught Caduceus' gaze and couldn't do anything but share a half-smile.  
  
Warmth spills through his body, centered on his groin. Fjord makes a low sound into the kiss, and Caduceus' mouth curves, affectionate not mocking.  
  
"You're purring again," Caduceus murmurs as he presses a kiss to the corner of Fjord's mouth. His hand settles on Fjord's upper thigh with a light squeeze.  
  
Heat flushes Fjord's cheeks. "Sorry."  
  
"Why're you apologizing? It's nothing to be sorry for." Caduceus tucks his face into the hollow of Fjord's throat, his lips soft and warm on the underside of Fjord’s jaw, over stubble trying desperately to be something more. "It's adorable."  
  
Fjord groans and scrapes his fingers over Caduceus' scalp. "Is it?"  
  
"Yes." Caduceus' mouth finds its way back to Fjord's lips. "I think of it as a compliment."  
  
Fjord thinks it's embarrassing, but he supposes he can't fault Caduceus' logic either. So he kisses Caduceus again, to hide the blush in his cheeks, focusing instead on the taste of Caduceus, the wet swipe of his tongue, the way their bodies draw closer and closer together, and Fjord's pants grow uncomfortably tight.  
  
His heartbeat is a loud song in his ears, and his hands start to shake, so he grips Caduceus a little harder to hide their tremble. He’s a hot flush from head to toe, and all they’ve done is kiss.  
  
Which is, of course, the perfect time for someone to bang on their door.  
  
"Fjord! Caduceus!" Jester sings as she raps a nonsense rhythm with her fists. "It's time for dinner! Stop making out and c'mon."  
  
Fjord sighs. "Sometimes, I hate her."  
  
Caduceus laughs and presses their foreheads together. "No, you don't," he says, and brushes a kiss on Fjord's forehead before he stands. "We're coming," he says, a bit louder.  
  
"Hurry up or Beau will eat all the good stuff, you know how she is!" Jester hollers before she scampers away, her boots noisy on the old wood slats.  
  
"No, I don't," Fjord agrees as he stands. He drags a hand over his hair to try and restore the disordered strands to their usual artful sweep. "Let's go to dinner."  
  
"We can finish this later," Caduceus promises with a peck to Fjord's cheek before he makes for the door, leaving Fjord standing there, a bit stunned.  
  
Finish? Later? What are they going to finish?  
  
Thank Melora he has a cloak.  
  
Fjord discreetly tucks it around him and follows Caduceus downstairs, toward the noise and bustle of the table the Mighty Nein have claimed in the corner. Food has already been brought out to them, along with mugs of ale, and two milks -- one for Jester and one for Caduceus.  
  
"There you are!" Jester’s eyes light up when she sees them, and her lips curl with devious intent. "I told Nott you were coming, but she didn't believe me."  
  
"Oh, I believed they were coming, just not down here," Nott says, and she and Beau high-five each other, while Fjord's face burns, and Caduceus smiles, either blissfully unaware of the double entendre, or choosing to ignore it.  
  
Fjord sits next to Beau and snatches up the ale she nudges his direction. He might take a larger swig than is necessary, but Jester’s grinning at him like a devil, waggling her eyebrows even, and that's more attention than he wants right now. His lips still tingle, and he swears the brush of Caduceus' kiss lingers on his throat.  
  
"Don't mind them, Mr. Clay," Caleb says as he pushes a plate Caduceus' direction, where he's kindly collected only potatoes and carrots and bread.  
  
"Oh, I'm not the one who minds," Caduceus says as his ears flick, and he casts a sidelong, playful look at Fjord.  
  
"Why wouldn't they come down here?" Yasha’s forehead crinkles in confusion. "Are you not feeling well, Fjord?"  
  
The worst part is that Fjord can't tell if she's being sincere in her confusion, or pretending for the sake of making Jester laugh. Yasha's too damn hard to read.  
  
"Can we just eat?" Fjord shovels a huge bite into his mouth, immediately crunching into gristle, but not caring because it gives him something else to focus on that's not their playful gazes.  
  
Beneath the table, Caduceus rests a hand on his knee and gives it a gentle pat. "Dinner and sleep is something we could all use," he says.  
  
"The beds here are pretty small," Nott says in between vicious, tearing bites of a haunch of meat. "I mean, I don't have a problem sleeping on the floor, but there's no harm in sharing, is there?"  
  
Fjord sighs.  
  
"No there isn't," Jester says, maybe a bit too loud, and she nudges Beau with her elbow, making weird and elaborate expressions with her face. "Beau and I share all the time, don't we, Beau?"  
  
Beau blinks. "Uh, yeah. Sure do."  
  
"We all sleep in a magic bubble that's ten feet in diameter. We all share space. I don't see why it is a big deal now," Caleb says, and Fjord could kiss him, save that his lips are reserved for Caduceus, so he won't.  
  
"Yeah, but that's not private, Caleb," Nott points out, rolling her eyes. "Remember? You can't make a little, you know, side bubble." She makes some gesture with her hand which Fjord is sure to be obscene, though he's never seen it before.  
  
Beau groans. "Can we please not bring that up again?"  
  
"Are you ashamed?" Caleb asks.  
  
"No." Beau's shoulders square, indignant. "You're like my brother is all, and it's weird to talk about my sex life with my brother. So stop."  
  
"I'm not even the one who brought it up," Caleb argues while daintily sopping some bread in his stew and giving it a nibble.  
  
"I mean just shut up about it in general." Beau’s arm waves wildly, a piece of her chicken breaking off and smacking Yasha in the cheek.  
  
Yasha picks it off and pops it into her mouth.  
  
"We don't need to talk about who I sleep with, all right?" Beau continues. "Unless you want me to start commenting on all of you. Huh, Nott? Should we talk about a certain minotaur?"  
  
"Hey! I never actually did anything!"  
  
"You wanted to," Beau points out.  
  
"Can you blame me?" Nott asks, and gets that starry look in her eyes again, the same one she held when she first caught sight of Sunbreaker Ulumon.  
  
Beau wrinkles her nose and drops back onto the bench. "Yeah. Can and will. Gross."  
  
"You have something against minotaurs?" Yasha asks.  
  
"I have something against dicks, as in, no thank you," Beau says.  
  
Caduceus says, "Well, now. You don't really know what kind of equipment he had."  
  
"She might be talking about his personality. He was kind of a jerk," Jester says as she lifts her mug and tries to catch the waitress’ attention. “More milk, please!”  
  
"Why are we even having this conversation?" Fjord groans, and shoves a huge piece of bread into his mouth, washing it down with an ale. Beau’s sex life, Nott’s sex life, minotaur dick... he’s officially reached his breaking point.  
  
Fjord stands, hoping to make a hasty escape. "I'm going to clean up. I'm tired."  
  
"Was your best friend a minotaur or something?" Beau asks.  
  
Yasha shakes her head, swiping away the smear of grease with the pad of her thumb. "No, I was just wondering if you didn't like them or something. Like, I don't know, maybe one attacked your family?"  
  
"Did your people suffer minotaur attacks?" Caleb asks.  
  
"Well... no," Yasha says.  
  
Caduceus is probably the only one who notices Fjord escaping, and all he does is smile and nod before he continues to pick at his food.  
  
"That's very speciest of you," Nott says with a haughty sniff as Fjord plunges into the crowd and their inane argument gets lost to the clamor and din.  
  
He finds the washroom upstairs, thankfully unoccupied, and wipes away the day's dirt and grime. Before they leave, Fjord hopes to visit the spa at least one more time. It had been an unexpectedly nice indulgence.  
  
Jester's right. His tusks are coming in nicely. He can't remember the last time he picked at them. He scratches at his jaw, where stubble tries in vain to form a full beard.  
  
It's a different face he sees in the mirror, and he doesn't mean just his growing tusks and his growing beard and his hair. He carries himself differently, too.  
  
He's actually starting to like who he sees.  
  
Fjord smiles and finishes up, exiting the washroom, only to stop in surprise when he finds Jester loitering in the hallway. She grins when she sees him.  
  
"There you are.”  
  
"Was I missing?" he asks.  
  
Jester laughs and loops her arm into his, subtly tugging him down the hall, toward their cluster of rooms. "You did kind of disappear. I was worried." She looks up at him, briefly gnawing on her bottom lip. "You kind of looked uncomfortable. I'm sorry if we teased you too much."  
  
"I wasn't upset about it," Fjord assures her, because that much is true. He's not ashamed, and he knows their teasing isn't meant to be cruel. "I'm just... this is very new to me. I'm afraid of messing it up. I don't know what I'm doing."  
  
"I don't think anyone does," Jester says as she pats his arm consolingly. "Don't worry. We can tell how much Caduceus likes you. I don't think you can mess it up."  
  
"You'd be surprised," Fjord sighs.  
  
He's messed up quite a few things in the past. He doesn't have a history of making the best decisions. This thing with Caduceus, this thing they haven't given a name, is fragile and important, and he doesn't want to shatter it.  
  
Though it _is_ weird he's talking to Jester about it. Weird and awkward and well.  
  
She’s still his friend.  
  
"I have faith in you," Jester says.  
  
"I know you do. Um. Listen Jess," Fjord says, and he tumbles over his words, struggling to find the right ones when it matters. "You think maybe we should talk?"  
  
Jester blinks up at him. “About what?”  
  
“Me,” Fjord says. “And Caduceus.”  
  
Jester laughs. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She stops in front of Fjord’s door with a little bounce. “Unless, I mean, is everything okay? Do _you_ need to talk, Fjord?”  
  
She looks up at him, sincere and earnest, without a glimpse of hurt in her eyes, and Fjord’s resolve crumbles.  
  
“No… nevermind.” Fjord rubs the back of his neck. Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t bring it up. People change after all. “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”  
  
Jester beams and gives him a playful pinch on the meat of his upper arm. “Well, you are, too.” She unlinks her arm from his and pushes him toward the door. “Caduceus is waiting for you, so you better go.”  
  
Fjord grins. “I’m going, I’m going.” He puts his hand on the knob but pauses, turning back toward her with a smile. “Thanks, Jess. I mean it.”  
  
She winks and spins on a heel, her skirt flaring around her. Fjord watches her go, a bit of an ache in his heart.  
  
He hopes he hasn’t broken hers in return.  
  
Fjord slips into his room, closing the door quietly behind him, and when he turns, Caduceus is making a pallet on the floor, carefully layering blankets as he usually does.  
  
“Um.” Fjord feels like he’s been knocked off his axis. “The floor?”  
  
Caduceus’ ears flick, laying flat. “You seemed uncomfortable earlier. I thought this might be… easier? I don’t want to push.”  
  
Fjord chews on the inside of his cheek. “I wasn’t uncomfortable. I’m just not sure what I’m doing.”  
  
Caduceus smiles as he stands, the tension sloughing from his shoulders. “Then that’s something we have in common.” He comes closer, takes Fjord’s hand and rubs his thumb over the back of it. “Do you want to sleep with me, Fjord?”  
  
He answers by kissing Caduceus, curling his hand around the back of Caduceus’ neck to draw him down, making it easier to press their lips together. It’s a gentle kiss, no matter how much Fjord wants to deepen it. There’s a tightness in his belly, gooseflesh raising over his skin, and heat in his groin.  
  
“Is that a yes?” Caduceus hums against his lips, hands resting on Fjord’s waist, neither pushing nor pulling, but waiting.  
  
Patient. He’s so damn patient. Fjord feels like a volcano ready to burst, or a rope about to snap, and Caduceus is as calm as a reed bending in the wind.  
  
“It’s a yes,” Fjord says, his voice rough. “We should share the bed.”  
  
“And nothing more?” Caduceus asks.  
  
Fjord huffs a laugh as his fingers drag through the finer hairs at the base of Caduceus’ neck, watching his eyes droop to half-mast. “What is more?”  
  
“I don’t really know,” Caduceus murmurs, head dipping as though trying to encourage Fjord to continue. He melts like this when Fjord pets him, too, and it’s impossibly adorable.  
  
Fjord carefully scratches his talons along those hairs and then further up, to the base of Caduceus’ scalp and back again. Caduceus hums, just like a purr Fjord thinks with a swallowed laugh, and sags against him.  
  
“I’m inexperienced, not unaware,” Caduceus rumbles as his hands slide up and down Fjord’s sides, though he can barely feel it through the thickness of the Mariner’s armor. “I don’t want to overstep.”  
  
“And I don’t want to push,” Fjord says even as Caduceus sags closer and closer to him, eyes fluttering, fatigue cloaking him from head to toe. “But maybe getting out of our armor and climbing into bed wouldn’t be a far step.”  
  
Caduceus breathes a laugh, but it’s a few more seconds of indulgence before he draws back, hands fumbling at the clasps to his more elaborate breastplate. “I suppose you’re right.”  
  
“Need help?”  
  
“Please.”  
  
It’s nothing Fjord hasn’t done before. Though it takes on a new meaning now as he undoes buckles and clasps, setting armor aside, peeling Caduceus out of his layers before he starts on his own. Caduceus offers to help but Fjord waves him off, and Caduceus doesn’t argue, flopping onto the bed instead and watching Fjord through slitted eyes.  
  
“You look like Frumpkin,” Fjord says, his face hot, and his ears aflame, though all he loses is his armor and boots and equipment. He’s far from undressed.  
  
“Judgmental?” Caduceus asks.  
  
Fjord chuckles. “No. But good point.” He casts off the last of his armor to the pile and surveys the tumble of long limbs that is his… boyfriend? Partner? Lover? Fellow worshiper of Melora?  
  
He was right.  
  
Caduceus’ feet do hang off the edge.  
  
“Come here,” Caduceus rumbles, opening his arms, and it’s an invitation Fjord can’t resist.  
  
He slides onto the bed, immediately rolling into Caduceus thanks to the curve of the lumpy mattress, and comes face to face with the other man.  
  
“Oh,” Fjord says. “Hi.”  
  
Caduceus chuckles and presses his forehead to Fjord’s. “Is this all right?”  
  
It’s warm and intimate. The familiar scent of tea and dirt and mushrooms and growing things rises up from Caduceus, and Fjord wants to nose his way into Caduceus’ throat and linger there, drinking him in.  
  
“Yeah,” he says, breathing easy for the first time in an hour. “It’s good.”  
  
They can worry about the rest later. This, right now, is perfect as it is.  
  


****

**Author's Note:**

> Yup, it's a series now. Will there be more? Absolutely!
> 
> As always, feedback is very much welcome and appreciated. I'd love to know what you think about how well I'm portraying these characters and their world. :)


End file.
